The man who was the inspiration behind an iconic nightclub meme has finally spoken out about what really happened on that fateful night.
We've probably all featured in some terrible nightclub photos over the years but had the presence of mind to delete them the next morning.
But that wasn't the option for 18-year-old Patrick Ritchie who quickly became the picture book image used alongside definitions of mansplaining, after he was snapped talking to a very bored looking young woman, which is probably the last thing you'd want to be associated with as a young lad ready to head off to university.
It was only last week that the girl who is having her ear chewed off in the photo, Lucia Gorman, had the opportunity to recreate it and it seems as if she was finally able to identify the offender in the classic photo.
Advert
The Daily Mail have tracked down Patrick, who is now 25 and working as a graduate commercial surveyor, and he was finally able to get his side of the story across.
It turns out, despite the many memes that have been created in his image, he wasn't telling Lucia about how he could've gone pro if it weren't for his knee injury.
He said: "I didn't know that the photo was being taken. I first became aware of it the day after it was out there. I don't think people really recognised me."
Sadly, as is often the case in a nightclub, he cannot remember exactly what he was saying to his old schoolfriend, but it's something they can both laugh about now.
Patrick added: "I don't know what I was saying to Lucia at the time...
"We were out in the bar. We were in a big group and I must have spoken to her five, 10, 15 times that night.
"I can't really remember what I said so it must been good night. I had a laugh about and it is what it is. It's not really come up in the future. It's just a bit mad that it kind of blew up."
"I don't remember what I was saying. It was a while ago.
"My family laughed probably when they saw it. I was eighteen and it was the start of me going out and about.
"I'm 24 now. I have a laugh at it and I'm quite happy to leave it at that. I bump into Lucia from time of time. I was at school with her. We laugh about it."
While time might not be the only reason why Patrick can't remember exactly what he was saying at the time, you have to feel sorry for the lad after what could have been an innocent chat with a schoolfriend has been interpreted as a brazen failed attempt at flirting for the past seven years.
James Moorhouse